


Neighbours

by humanedspresso



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate!Ed, Dolce Vita AU, Domestic, Enjoy my Edsona u lovely people, Fluff, I didn't proofread this bullshit, M/M, Modern AU, RoyEd Week 2019, Take it as it is, alternate!roy, that tag will make sense eventually
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-20 05:40:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20222716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/humanedspresso/pseuds/humanedspresso
Summary: Roy moves into his new house and soon finds a neighbour with horrible fashion sense, but delightful taste in cooking - and a soft spot for helping people.Written for RoyEd Week 2019 and part of the 'Dolce Vita' AU (eventually it'll see the light of day).





	Neighbours

It was a nice summer day, perhaps just too hot for his tastes, but the tram's bells were ringing in the streets and there was a nice, fresh breeze coming from his windows - so it was still good after all. Sipping his lemon tea, he relaxed on his armchair and kept watching videos on his TV, almost dozing off to nap for how calm the day was, and he would have fallen asleep if not for a loud sound that broke the silence of that lazy afternoon.

It was a truck horn, at first, which was surprising in itself at such a hour, but then came the creaking of brakes and the dragging of tires, and he heard it stop right in front of his balcony - in front of the main gate. Curious, he got up and fixed his bun a little before stepping outside and looking down, his hand covering his sensitive eyes from the sun.

There, he spotted them - workers, or more specifically, moving workers - ready to carry furniture, boxes and who knows what else into the new apartment right in front of him. He had been worried about getting a new tenant in the building for very long, especially considering his 'favourite' neighbours, and now... now they were there. He stared down at them, trying to find the owners of the new place, and spotted a raven-haired man looking up. He wasn’t sure he was looking at 

, but he was surely studying him, as he did with everyone.

He was wearing a nice white shirt, perhaps too nice for a move, and from what he could see from high up he looked very handsome - his eyes seemed black, but he wasn’t sure they were, most of his furniture was wrapped in plastic film, but they all looked modern and classy - but nothing like the depressing white sofas and tables he always spotted in minimalist interior design magazines (seriously, what was the point of having a house look like that, where was the gaudy decor?) : he could see plenty of boxes peeking out of the truck and found it pretty peculiar, after all he seemed to be a single man and the apartment next to his was small in itself… but he could spot ‘BOOKS’ written on one, ‘GAMES’ on another, and his interest was sparked.

Suddenly, he de-focused and remembered it was very rude to stare, no matter why, and immediately shifted his eyes to find the man again - but he was nowhere to be found. He blushed a little and mumbled something under his breath, passing a hand through his hair to wipe his sweat away. He wasn’t sure he’d been spotted, but he wanted to make a good first impression on who he believed might have been one of the most normal tenants in his block, but what was even a good way to greet someone? All he could think of was food… he’d been wanting to make lasagna for some time, maybe he could have made more as a welcome gift.

He took the pencil out of his hair and fixed his bun once more, this time with more care, only to move to his wardrobe and pick some better clothes than his sweaty tank top and pajama shorts. He could have showered, but then again, he would have done so before visiting for good - now it was just to say hello, and maybe offer some help with moving boxes and heavy furniture.

As soon as he looked presentable, he grabbed his key-strap from the bowl next to his front door to step on the hallway outside his flat - soon enough, he spotted the workers moving a sofa and the man soon behind with a heavy box in hand.   
  
  


“Hey, good morning! Need a hand or two?”   
  


The man turned to him in surprise - his eyes were *really* dark blue, damn - but then immediately smiled at him, a gentle, calm smile that made him lose focus for a moment and turned his heavily-freckled cheeks red, or well, redder than usual. There was something about him that made him feel like he was talking to some aristocrat, perhaps the way he looked classy even while working, or the weight of his gaze, or just the aura he had. He had the feeling he would have liked him.

-Oh, good morning sir. It’s very kind of you to offer your help, but do not worry. I have workers to help me, and I would never want to inconvenience my neighbours on the very first day.-

He had a very mellow voice, he noted, nodding at his words and then smiling at him - he knew the man could see his gums as he did, but it was something he’d gotten from his mother. WInry had called it ‘warm and rustic’ once, and he’d agreed with it. The man seemed to notice indeed, but only widened his smile slightly and offered him his hand (so the box wasn’t so heavy after all). 

-My name is Roy, pleased to meet you.-

“Ah, sorry - I’m Edward, nice to meet you too!-

The man - 

\- studied him as much as he had: Edward was much taller than him, and much bigger - he probably weighed more than him, too, and looked like he could have decked him if he just happened to turn around and not look where his arm was going - be it the metal one or not. He was sure his biceps, if flexed, would have been as big as his head… and yet there was something in his freckled face that exuded warmth, in his pinkish plump lips, his round cheeks, in those big round glasses that made his golden eyes stand out even more - and in how amusing the contrast with his almost pissed face was. He was sure Edward wasn’t really pissed, but his thick eyebrows and their shape made him look so and he couldn’t help but chuckle lightly. 

Still, his laugh died soon when Ed looked away to let a worker pass and he heard the sound of his shoes - and when he checked them, he noticed he was wearing the ugliest man sandals he’d ever seen, a cross between an Adidas flip-flop and a platform climbing sandal… he’d never seen anything so awful before. He didn’t even know where someone could but those.

Somehow oblivious to his felony against fashion, Ed turned to him with a smile again and pointed at a freezer bag he’d spotted on the floor - his origins brought him to always sense the presence of food, be it good or bad.

“Is that your lunch, or your dinner? And if I can, may I know what’s inside?”

-It’s both, sadly, I didn’t really plan between packing boxes and preparing furniture. It’s just a few salami sandwiches and some chips, a very standard moving meal.-

Ed’s nose scrunched up at that sentence, and for a moment Roy felt heavily judged, and slightly embarrassed. It wasn’t that he really hadn’t thought of making food, but as much as he made killing scrambled eggs and baked well he didn’t really have much cooking talent. The blonde man looked to the side and stared at nothing for a while, deep in thought, focused, before snapping back to reality and turning his head to him - and startling him a little too. 

“Well, I was going to buy some food at the supermarket down the road anyway, I’m going to go and get some stuff for dinner - leave it to me, I’ll make you something much better than sad salami sandwiches.”

-Oh, you don’t have to worry about me, really, you shouldn’t go through all this tr-

“Ah, it’s no trouble at all, I was going to cook anyway! I can’t let your first dinner in our new home be 

, come on, you need something to celebrate!”

Ed laughed, and his nose scrunched up a little - his cheeks puffed out, and for a moment Roy was so taken by that he forgot to insist: for some reason, he couldn’t help but chuckle along with him and smile, only to roll his eyes a little and sigh.

-Well, if you’re so bent on feeding me I won’t complain, but I hope you’re a good cook. I am very picky about the quality of what I eat.-

“Says the man eating salami sandwiches and chips.”

-... touché.-

Ed laughed again, louder, and covered his mouth to try and muffle his chuckles, and Roy followed. It was contagious, somehow, even if they were laughing at his lunch, or maybe exactly because of that; his new neighbour was polite, but not fakely so, and hadn’t wasted any time picking on him regardless of how little time they’d known each other for… he liked that. And he couldn’t wait to taste his food.

-So, what are you going to delight my tastebuds with?-

“That’s a surprise, but let me tell you, you’re gonna 

it! I would bet my good arm you’ve never tasted anything like that.”

It wasn't long before Roy had to leave to get more boxes, and so Ed decided to get his bag from his house and really go get anything he needed to make both of them a great dinner. His squeaky sandals were the only thing that warned Roy the man had left, besides him waving from the sidewalk when he came out to get more stuff from the truck. If he had to tell the truth, he couldn’t wait to find out what his dinner was going to be.

Hours went by, and as much as he was busy with helping around and directing the workers he couldn’t stop thinking of his neighbour: there was something about that young man he couldn’t pinpoint that just captivated him - his mischievous smile, his playful look, the blush on his cheeks, his golden eyes, there was so much he’d noticed and yet he still felt like there was more to him than just his looks.

Halfway through his musings, though, he’d noticed a heavenly smell come from next door. It smelled like something he couldn’t recognise, but it was meaty and delicious and made his stomach grumble, he then knew he couldn’t wait to taste Ed’s cooking. Smiling fondly, he returned to his work and eyed his freezer bag with a chuckle - no sandwiches for him, his neighbour was making sure of that.

On his hand, Ed had let the ragù simmer for hours, making sure it was the perfect balance between runny and creamy, and he’d spent some time to even make super-tiny meatballs and add them to the sauce - it was a thing he always did back home, and he wanted to greet Roy properly. It wasn’t something unusual for him, to go out of his way to do nice things for others, especially if it came to cooking, and he missed home a little… that was also good for him.

He waited for the workers to leave and then some more, just to make sure Roy had time to shower or rest a little before bothering him: putting his keys around his neck, he wore his oven mittens and opened his door with one hand, closing it behind him and finally knocking on Roy’s door with a fuming tray of lasagna with him. I didn’t take long for him to open the door, and his face when he spotted the tray was priceless.

-No way… is this how you greet all your neighbours, Mister Edward?-

“No, only the ones that don’t know how to cook.”

They both laughed and Roy moved aside, letting Ed in and leading him to the table. There wasn’t much open and boxes still littered the floor but at least the house was furnished, and there was enough space to eat: as he’d expected, the furniture was classy and elegant, and even with a mess everywhere it gave off an organised vibe.

“So, how you like your new place, uh, comfortable?”   
  


-Yes, it’s really nice, even if there’s still a lot to do. So many books to put away, so many files to shelf, and then clothes, tablecloths, and other things… it feels never-ending.-

“If you need a hand, don’t be shy to ask, knock on my door and I’ll come if I can.”

They didn’t realise how quickly time passed as they talked and laughed - Roy wanted to compliment Ed’s cooking skills, but his mouth was always full for how much he loved it, Ed ate so slowly the man had managed to eat three servings in the time it took him to eat one, and soon enough there were little leftovers in the tray, two very full stomachs, and just as many happy men.

Slowly, a nice cold breeze started blowing through the house, and as they forgot their food and washed the few dishes they’d dirtied they kept talking of small things like their favourite hobbies, their everyday accidents at work, some funny stories to share on summer nights, and they both found themselves thankful that, of all places, Roy had decided to move right next door. It wasn’t the end of it, of that they were sure, and they promised to have dinner again very soon - perhaps on Ed’s balcony this time, to enjoy the sunset and some chilled tea. 

Maybe the house wasn't ready yet, and maybe it was still dusty and messy, but the food had been good and Ed's laugh was full like their stomach, and it was enough to make it all feel a little more like home.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! As the tags say I didn't proofread this but I really wanted to post on the right day, and to introduce my 'Edsona' to people - for now there isn't much about him, but I'll build up on it on the upcoming days while following the prompts for the week! I hope you'll enjoy, thoughts and reviews and comments are very very much appreciated!


End file.
